Last updated March 2024
On the hunt for sensationally spectacular Best Sport Movies? We assembled 30 marvelous, universally beloved Best Sport Movies handpicked by our experts for your immediate streaming enjoyment. With through the roof acclaim from revered IMDB critics and our own community of savvy users, these elite titles simply can't be matched for quality. Help other viewers find overlooked gems by voting for your personal favorites. We appreciate your help showcasing the finest titles available!
Jersey (2019)
Plot Summary:
After his career fails to take off, a gifted cricketer in his mid-thirties decides that he’s not ready to give up quite yet
Duration: 157 min
IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB Votes: 21000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: India
Plot tags: mission, wandering, cricket, athlete, telugu
Sarpatta Parambarai (2021)
Plot Summary:
When Sarpatta Parambarai is challenged to a do-or-die match, Kabilan, a young labourer, must choose whether to put on the gloves himself and lead his clan to victory, or be dissuaded by his disapproving mother and dangerous politics
Duration: 173 min
IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB Votes: 25000
Genere: Action, Drama, Sport
Country: India
Plot tags: boxing, fight, politics, gang war, crime family, bandit, gang, boxer, battles, athlete and trainer, organized crime, political intrigue, power struggle, political unrest, showdown, criminal gang, prizefighter, fight for supremacy, mission, mother, coach, cheating, clan, training, tamil
The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix (1975)
Plot Summary:
100 miles north, a bit east and up, is Flåklypa... home of bicycle repairman Reodor Felgen and his two assistants - Solan Gundersen, morning bird and natural born optimist, and Ludvig who is a true pessimist. Sponsored by oil sheik Ben Redic Fy Fazan, they build the car "Il Tempo Gigante" and the race of the decade is a fact
Duration: 88 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Animation, Comedy, Family, Sport
Country: Norway
Plot tags: racing, car, chases and races, stop motion, race, auto racing, car race, chess, inventor, car chase, motor sport, fast car, exodus, motor racing, mechanic, escapades, vengeance, rivalry, master villain, uninhibited rivalry, friendship, rich man, muslim, speed, bird
Dangal (2016)
Plot Summary:
Dangal is an extraordinary true story based on the life of Mahavir Singh and his two daughters, Geeta and Babita Phogat. The film traces the inspirational journey of a father who trains his daughters to become world class wrestlers
Duration: 161 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 205000
Genere: Action, Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: India, USA
Plot tags: wrestler, small town, female empowerment, father daughter relationship, parent child relationship, olympics, biopic, indians, women, mentor, life philosophy, determination, training, autobiography, wrestling, great ending, coach, strong female lead, sister sister relationship, female friendship, motivation, patriot, teenager, martial arts, combat
Pocket Hercules: Naim Suleymanoglu (2019)
Plot Summary:
From defecting to the Olympics, an underdog weightlifter powers through adversity to raise up his community in this biopic of Naim Süleymanoğlu
Duration: 141 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Sport
Country: Turkey
Plot tags: weightlifting, migration, olympics, real life, assimilation, tournament, muslim, communism, athlete, rivalry, contests and competitions, athlete's life, athlete and trainer, olympic athlete, lifestyle, olympian, professional rivalry, olympic gold medalist, magic, biopic, turk, life, gold, legend, journey
Run Milkha Run (2013)
Plot Summary:
The true story of the "Flying Sikh" world champion runner and Olympian Milkha Singh who overcame the massacre of his family, civil war during the India-Pakistan partition, and homelessness to become one of India's most iconic athletes
Duration: 186 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 71000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: India
Plot tags: rise to the top, olympics, biopic, talented, running, life, athlete's life, indians, lifestyle, rising to stardom, follow your dream, ambition, overcoming, rivalry, fame, determination, contests and competitions, championship, fight, training, loss of family member, patriot, motivation, hindu, love
Children of Heaven (1997)
Plot Summary:
Zohre's shoes are gone; her older brother Ali lost them. They are poor, there are no shoes for Zohre until they come up with an idea: they will share one pair of shoes, Ali's. School awaits
Duration: 89 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 79000
Genere: Drama, Family, Sport
Country: Iran
Plot tags: childhood, children, poverty, school, life, unemployment, family drama, running, islam, siblings relations, coming of age, financial problem, young heroes, teacher, family relations, perseverance, friendship, lie, commitment, brother sister relationship, hijab, iranian, great ending, race, muslim
One Love (2018)
Plot Summary:
The mid 90’s. Turkey’s political instability, inflation and hopelesness on people were increased. In those years when all hope was lost, people deeply bond with Bold Pilot and Halis Karataş who win every race coming from the last place. People see themselves at the point where this horse and jockey are: at the back. This duo make people to believe that everybody can win. The race ends at the finish line and the first to cross this line are Bold Pilot and Halis riding it
Duration: 130 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Romance, Sport
Country: Turkey
Plot tags: horse race, racehorse, horse, jockey, race, hopes, love and romance, friendship, rise to the top, follow your dream, rivalry, ambition, contests and competitions, couple relations, racing, coach, underdog, love, success, death, cancer, hospital, bet, competition, anger
Iqbal (2005)
Plot Summary:
This is all about chasing your dreams, no matter what the obstacles. The story involves a young deaf and dumb boy who is crazy about cricket
Duration: 132 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 18000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: India
Plot tags: cricket, disability, prodigy, human spirit, follow your dream, ambition, lifestyle, against the odds, obsession, rise to the top, rivalry, struggle, hopes, athlete's life, village, misfit, family relations, society, contests and competitions, drinking problem, underdog, deaf mute, boy, muslim, deaf
Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001)
Plot Summary:
Lagaan tells the tale of the Indian village Champaner, beset by drought and British colonialism in the year 1893. Without a drop of rain in months, the worried villagers of Champaner decide to ask the local authorities for a temporary repeal of their taxes -- the hated lagaan. Led by the heroic Bhuvan (Indian superstar Aamir Khan) they bring their plight to the military governor, Captain Russell (Paul Blackthorne). But the sadistic Russell threatens to raise the lagaan threefold, unless the villagers can beat his men at a game of cricket, in which case he'll lift taxes on the entire province for a period of three years. Bhuvan accepts the challenge, but there's a problem -- no one in Champaner knows how to play cricket. A band of misfits come to the rescue, coached by Russell's soft-hearted sister Elizabeth (Rachel Shelley), and the race is on to be ready in three months' time. An epic reworking of Victory with eye-popping song-and-dance routines
Duration: 224 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 119000
Genere: Drama, Musical, Sport
Country: India, USA
Plot tags: village, love triangle, patriotism, british raj, sikh, cricket, caste system, colonialism, friendship, jealousy, self esteem, poverty, unrequited love, patriot, ambition, underdog, hindu, resistance, indians, imperialism, racism, indian history, dancing, musician, music
Raging Bull (1980)
Plot Summary:
When Jake LaMotta steps into a boxing ring and obliterates his opponent, he's a prizefighter. But when he treats his family and friends the same way, he's a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at any moment. Though LaMotta wants his family's love, something always seems to come between them. Perhaps it's his violent bouts of paranoia and jealousy. This kind of rage helped make him a champ, but in real life, he winds up in the ring alone
Duration: 129 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 373000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Plot tags: character study, boxing, rise and fall, violent, boxer, biopic, bad temper, tragedy, redemption, jealousy, gangster, paranoia, fight, rage, dysfunctional family, hot temper, marriage crisis, competition, storytelling, self destructing, depression, mentor, fight scenes, champion, boxing match
Rush (2013)
Plot Summary:
A biographical drama centered on the rivalry between Formula 1 drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda during the 1976 Formula One motor-racing season
Duration: 123 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 504000
Genere: Action, Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: UK, USA
Plot tags: racing, race, car race, race car, racecar driver, rise to the top, motor sport, success, formula 1, car racing, world champion, rivalry, auto racing, obsession, biopic, sports car, fame, justice, human spirit, professional rivalry, speed, car, catastrophe, friendship, mentor
Montevideo, God Bless You! (2010)
Plot Summary:
A story about one team that decides to follow a dream that takes them on a journey to the First World Football Championship in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1930. A dream that allows them to become true stars and living legends
Duration: 140 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, History, Romance, Sport
Country: Serbia
Plot tags: soccer, follow your dream, football, coach, love and romance, young lovers, rivalry, ambition, talented, hopes, post war, fan, championship, friendship, dictator, dictatorship, world war one, interwar period, friends, sport team, fistfight, love, fight, seduction, boy
Rocky (1976)
Plot Summary:
When world heavyweight boxing champion, Apollo Creed wants to give an unknown fighter a shot at the title as a publicity stunt, his handlers choose palooka Rocky Balboa, an uneducated collector for a Philadelphia loan shark. Rocky teams up with trainer Mickey Goldmill to make the most of this once in a lifetime break
Duration: 120 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 617000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Plot tags: boxing, fight, underdog, boxer, self esteem, rocky, character study, training, love story, pride and honor, violence, fistfight, fight scenes, world champion, brawl, motivation, contests and competitions, urban ghetto, tough guy, entrepreneur, martial arts, inspiration, great ending, fighter, life philosophy
Warrior (2011)
Plot Summary:
The youngest son of an alcoholic former boxer returns home, where he's trained by his father for competition in a mixed martial arts tournament - a path that puts the fighter on a collision course with his estranged, older brother, an ex-marine with a tragic past
Duration: 140 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 491000
Genere: Action, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Plot tags: martial arts, mixed martial arts, boxing, courage, brother brother relationship, fight scenes, underdog, muscleman, teacher, brothers, estrangement, father son relationship, athlete and trainer, warrior, tournament, martial arts training, boxer, mentor, training, martial arts tournament, athlete's life, alcoholic, family drama, character study, brutality
Ford v Ferrari (2019)
Plot Summary:
American car designer Carroll Shelby and the British-born driver Ken Miles work together to battle corporate interference, the laws of physics, and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary race car for Ford Motor Company and take on the dominating race cars of Enzo Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France in 1966
Duration: 152 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 447000
Genere: Action, Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Plot tags: racing, car, racecar driver, car racing, car race, talented, ambition, auto mechanic, race, rise to the top, friendship, race car, desire for fame, auto racing, driving, driver, friendship between men, fight, biopic, rivalry, contests and competitions, male bonding, husband wife relationship, father son relationship, friend
Chak De! India (2007)
Plot Summary:
A team of rag-tag girls with their own agenda form Team India competing for international fame in field hockey. Their coach, the ex-men's Indian National team captain, returns from a life of shame after being unjustly accused of match fixing in his last match. Can he give the girls the motivation required to win, while dealing with the shadows of his own past?
Duration: 153 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 84000
Genere: Drama, Family, Sport
Country: India, USA, UK, Australia
Plot tags: underdog, coach, contests and competitions, rivalry, sport team, determination, against the odds, patriotism, ambition, glory, media coverage, bonding, hopes, power relations, patriot, sexism, hockey, indians, women, motivation, feminist, hindu, teacher, politics, muslim
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Plot Summary:
Despondent over a painful estrangement from his daughter, trainer Frankie Dunn isn't prepared for boxer Maggie Fitzgerald to enter his life. But Maggie's determined to go pro and to convince Dunn and his cohort to help her
Duration: 132 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 713000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Plot tags: boxing, female protagonist, underdog, female boxer, determination, mentor protege relationship, human spirit, athlete's life, female athlete, euthanasia, boxing trainer, strong female lead, athlete and trainer, life is a bitch, ambition, boxer, wisdom of life, strong female character, suffering, tragedy, training, feminism, contests and competitions, follow your dream, disability
Ghilli (2004)
Plot Summary:
Muthu Pandi, a village strongman, decides to marry Dhanalakshmi, and begins his quest by eliminating everyone who opposes their union - starting with both her brothers. In desperation, Dhanalakshmi decides to escape from the village, and in the process is unwittingly assisted by a university Kabaddi player Velu
Duration: 160 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Action, Drama, Romance, Sport
Country: India
Plot tags: manhunt, village, fall in love, ambition, family relations, rivalry, woman in danger, lovers on the run, chases and races, martial arts, police officer, obsession, murder, tough guy, doll, car chase, rescue, courage, chase, corpse, protection, on the run, train station, passport, punched in the face
Cinderella Man (2005)
Plot Summary:
The true story of boxer, Jim Braddock who, in the 1920’s after his retirement, has a surprise comeback in order to get him and his family out of a socially poor state
Duration: 144 min
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
IMDB Votes: 196000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Romance, Sport
Country: USA
Plot tags: boxing, underdog, human spirit, great depression, biopic, boxer, athlete's life, poverty, depression, motivation, financial problem, family bonds, fight, rise to the top, prizefighter, lifestyle, comeback, boxing champion, follow your dream, career, life is a bitch, vengeance, inspiration, redemption, family drama
M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016)
Plot Summary:
The film is based on the life of Indian cricketer and the current captain of the Indian national cricket team, Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Duration: 184 min
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
IMDB Votes: 66000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: India
Plot tags: cricket, rags to riches, biopic, rise to the top, ambition, athlete's life, leadership, rivalry, sport team, contests and competitions, rising to stardom, indians, meaning of life, patriot, captain, love, biker, isolation, bollywood, hindi
The Hustler (1961)
Plot Summary:
Fast Eddie Felson is a small-time pool hustler with a lot of talent but a self-destructive attitude. His bravado causes him to challenge the legendary Minnesota Fats to a high-stakes match
Duration: 134 min
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
IMDB Votes: 86000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Plot tags: billiards, gambling, hustler, suicide, success, rivalry, ambition, lifestyle, championship, cons and scams, obsession, idealism, drinking, gambler, casino, game, humiliation, badass, guy, psychology, new year, boxing, business, heist, time travel
The Wrestler (2008)
Plot Summary:
Aging wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson is long past his prime but still ready and rarin' to go on the pro-wrestling circuit. After a particularly brutal beating, however, Randy hangs up his tights, pursues a serious relationship with a long-in-the-tooth stripper, and tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter. But he can't resist the lure of the ring and readies himself for a comeback
Duration: 109 min
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
IMDB Votes: 317000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: USA, France
Plot tags: wrestling, loneliness, aging, life is a bitch, fame, father daughter relationship, self destructing, stripper, ambition, character study, professional wrestling, father daughter estrangement, father daughter conflict, introspection, athlete's life, nudity, midlife crisis, honest, complex characters, wrestler, trailer park, washed up star, price of fame, fighter, veteran
The Sandlot (1993)
Plot Summary:
Scotty Smalls moves to a new neighborhood with his mom and stepdad, and wants to learn to play baseball. The neighborhood baseball guru Rodriquez takes Smalls under his wing. They fall into adventures involving baseball, treehouse sleep-ins, the desirous lifeguard at the local pool, the snooty rival ball team, and the travelling fair
Duration: 101 min
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
IMDB Votes: 100000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Family, Sport
Country: USA
Plot tags: baseball, coming of age, childhood, friendship, unlikely friendships, dog, adolescence, small town, boy, bullying, child, team, children, summer, youth, kids and family, beast, group of children, buddies, motivation, camp, boyhood, chase, insult, narration
The World's Fastest Indian (2005)
Plot Summary:
The life story of New Zealander Burt Munro, who spent years building a 1920 Indian motorcycle -- a bike which helped him set the land-speed world record at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats in 1967
Duration: 127 min
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
IMDB Votes: 58000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: New Zealand, Japan, USA
Plot tags: motorcycle, human spirit, against the odds, follow your dream, motorcycle race, racing, race, car race, elderly, auto mechanic, goodhearted, ambition, philosophy, eccentricity, transformation, biker, on the road, honest, hitchhiker, friendship, optimism, obstacle, obsessive quest, supportive friend, motivation
Remember the Titans (2000)
Plot Summary:
After leading his football team to 15 winning seasons, coach Bill Yoast is demoted and replaced by Herman Boone – tough, opinionated and as different from the beloved Yoast as he could be. The two men learn to overcome their differences and turn a group of hostile young men into champions
Duration: 113 min
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
IMDB Votes: 228000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Plot tags: racism, african american, civil rights, american football, high school, racial tension, racial prejudice, football, against the odds, prejudice, racial slur, friendship, high school football, coach, underdog, teacher, culture clash, hopes, human spirit, school, segregation, motivation, happy ending, high school sports, sport team
The Fighter (2010)
Plot Summary:
The Fighter, is a drama about boxer "Irish" Micky Ward's unlikely road to the world light welterweight title. His Rocky-like rise was shepherded by half-brother Dicky, a boxer-turned-trainer who rebounded in life after nearly being KO'd by drugs and crime
Duration: 116 min
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
IMDB Votes: 384000
Genere: Action, Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Plot tags: boxing, boxer, addiction, underdog, biopic, athlete's life, drug abuse, drug addiction, arrest, white trash, fight, working class, change of luck, courage, training, mentor, character study, loyalty, success, career, life is a bitch, athlete and trainer, fame, determination, championship
Kai Po Che! (2013)
Plot Summary:
Three friends growing up in India at the turn of the millennium set out to open a training academy to produce the country's next cricket stars
Duration: 130 min
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
IMDB Votes: 38000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: India
Plot tags: cricket, friendship, success, athlete and trainer, follow your dream, sport team, talented, business venture, hopes, ambition, business, politics, friends, motivation, islam, marketing, best friend, coming of age, college life, buddy, store, urban, fan, lifestyle, ambitious
Breaking Away (1979)
Plot Summary:
Dave, nineteen, has just graduated high school, with his 3 friends, The comical Cyril, the warm hearted but short-tempered Moocher, and the athletic, spiteful but good-hearted Mike. Now, Dave enjoys racing bikes and hopes to race the Italians one day, and even takes up the Italian culture, much to his friends and parents annoyance
Duration: 101 min
IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
IMDB Votes: 25000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Plot tags: coming of age, working class, cycling, underdog, bicycle, teenager, friendship, small town, teenage life, bicycle race, father son relationship, childhood, teenage boy, college, ambition, adolescence vs adulthood, bike, rivalry, contests and competitions, against the odds, summer, melancholy, racing, youth, family relations
The Triplets of Belleville (2003)
Plot Summary:
When her grandson is kidnapped during the Tour de France, Madame Souza and her beloved pooch Bruno team up with the Belleville Sisters--an aged song-and-dance team from the days of Fred Astaire--to rescue him
Duration: 80 min
IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
IMDB Votes: 56000
Genere: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Music, Sport
Country: France, Belgium, Canada, UK, Latvia, USA
Plot tags: dog, cycling, tour de france, very little dialogue, bicycle, dream, chase, mafia, boy, friendship, rescue, escapades, danger, old woman, friends, championship, melancholy, eccentricity, boat, sister sister relationship, grandmother grandson relationship, journey, darkness, rivalry, european